U.S. patent number 7,529,603 [Application Number 11/384,612] was granted by the patent office on 2009-05-05 for integrated performance application.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Boeing Company. Invention is credited to David L. Allen, Timothy W. Anstey, Steven J. Churchill, Steven J. Yukawa.
United States Patent |
7,529,603 |
Allen , et al. |
May 5, 2009 |
Integrated performance application
Abstract
An electronic flight bag is disclosed which includes an
electronic logbook module having an electronic logbook database.
The electronic logbook module is configured to compile a list of
deferred maintenance items including one or more MEL items. The
electronic flight bag also includes an onboard performance tool
module operatively connected to the electronic logbook module. The
onboard performance tool module is configured to access the list of
deferred maintenance items compiled by the electronic logbook
module and calculate a plurality of performance parameters. The
electronic flight bag also includes an electronic document browser
module operatively connected to the electronic logbook module and
the onboard performance tool module. The electronic document
browser module includes an electronic document browser database
storing documentation regarding the MEL item(s) included in the
list of deferred maintenance items compiled by the electronic
logbook module.
Inventors: |
Allen; David L. (Kent, WA),
Anstey; Timothy W. (Seattle, WA), Yukawa; Steven J.
(Seattle, WA), Churchill; Steven J. (Issaquah, WA) |
Assignee: |
The Boeing Company (Chicago,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
38518958 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/384,612 |
Filed: |
March 20, 2006 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20070219676 A1 |
Sep 20, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
701/3; 701/31.4;
701/33.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01C
23/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01C
23/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;701/29,3 ;702/183,184
;714/25 ;382/149 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
The Boeing Company, PCT/US2007/006947 mailed May 16, 2008. cited by
other.
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Primary Examiner: Hellner; Mark
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Evan Law Group LLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic flight bag on an aircraft comprising: an
electronic logbook configured to compile a list of deferred
maintenance items from previous maintenance performed on the
aircraft; an onboard performance tool module operatively connected
to the electronic logbook, and configured to access the list of
deferred maintenance items and to calculate a plurality of
performance parameters; and an electronic document browser module
operatively connected to the electronic logbook and the onboard
performance tool module, wherein the electronic document browser
module is configured to display said list of deferred maintenance
items compiled by the electronic logbook.
2. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, further comprising a
common database operatively connected to the electronic logbook,
the onboard performance tool module, and the electronic document
browser module.
3. The electronic flight bag of claim 2, wherein the list of
deferred maintenance items is stored in the common database.
4. The electronic flight bag of claim 2, wherein the list of
deferred maintenance items is stored in the common database.
5. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, wherein the list of
deferred maintenance items is compiled based on inputs received
from at least one of flight crew members, grounds crew members, and
maintenance personnel.
6. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, wherein the list of
deferred maintenance items is synchronized with a client
application at an airline host system.
7. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
performance parameters comprise at least one of takeoff decision
speed, rotation speed, and climbout speed.
8. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, wherein the onboard
performance tool module is configured to account for at least one
of runway conditions and obstacle height when calculating the
plurality of performance parameters.
9. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, wherein the onboard
performance tool module comprises an onboard performance tool
database.
10. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, wherein the electronic
document browser module includes embedded hyperlinks to facilitate
access to sections of interest in stored documentation.
11. A method of determining aircraft performance parameters,
comprising: performing an initial calculation of the aircraft
performance parameters; retrieving a deferred item list from
previous maintenance performed on the aircraft; evaluating the
impact of the deferred item list on the initial calculation of the
aircraft performance parameters; adjusting the initial calculation
based on the deferred item list; and displaying a final calculation
of the aircraft performance parameters to a user.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling the user to
access documentation regarding minimum equipment list items
affecting the final calculation of the aircraft performance
parameters via one or more hyperlinks.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein retrieving the deferred item
list comprises requesting and receiving the deferred item list from
an electronic logbook.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein retrieving the deferred item
list comprises accessing a common database storing the deferred
item list.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the common database is
periodically updated by an electronic logbook.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the deferred item list is
generated based on inputs received from at least one of flight crew
members, grounds crew members, and maintenance personnel.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the performance parameters
comprise at least one of takeoff decision speed, rotation speed,
and climbout speed.
18. A machine readable medium comprising machine readable
instructions for causing a computer to perform a method for
calculating aircraft performance parameters, the method comprising:
performing a first calculation of the aircraft performance
parameters; retrieving a deferred item list from previous
maintenance performed on the aircraft; evaluating the impact of the
deferred item list on the first calculation of the aircraft
performance parameters; adjusting the first calculation based on
the deferred item list providing a final calculation of the
aircraft performance parameters; and displaying the final
calculation of the aircraft performance parameters to a user.
19. The machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method
further comprises enabling the user to access documentation
regarding minimum equipment list items affecting the final
calculation of the aircraft performance parameters via one or more
hyperlinks.
20. The machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein retrieving the
deferred item list comprises requesting and receiving the deferred
item list from an electronic logbook.
21. The machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein retrieving the
deferred item list comprises accessing a common database storing
the deferred item list.
22. An aircraft comprising a programmable electronic flight bag
system for collecting, transmitting, and interfacing flight data,
the programmable electronic flight bag system comprising: a display
screen programmable for displaying information pertaining to flying
and maintaining the aircraft; computing means operatively connected
to the display screen, the computing means having a plurality of
input means; data collection means for gathering raw data including
at least one of deferred maintenance items, runway conditions and
obstacle height, flight data, flight management computer data,
weather data mapping, air traffic, airport gate and taxiway data;
electronic document browser means for accessing and displaying
information electronically stored in the electronic flight bag
system; electronic logbook means capable of receiving and storing
equipment failures of the aircraft; and performance application
means for calculating takeoff parameters, taking into account at
least one of deferred maintenance items and crew-entered
parameters.
23. The aircraft of claim 22, further comprising a radio interface
operatively connected to the computing means for forming an uplink
and a downlink between said aircraft and a ground based control
station, the radio interface transmitting real time flight data
including at least one of aircraft operational data, security data
and video data.
24. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, wherein said electronic
logbook comprises an electronic database.
25. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, wherein the list of
deferred maintenance items includes one or more minimum equipment
list items.
26. The electronic flight bag of claim 1, wherein the electronic
document browser module comprises an electronic document browser
database.
27. The electronic flight bag of claim 26, wherein the electronic
document browser database is configured to store documentation
regarding one or more minimum equipment list items in the list of
deferred maintenance items.
28. The method of claim 11, wherein said deferred item list
comprises a plurality of minimum equipment list items.
29. The method of claim 11, wherein said deferred item list is
compiled by an electronic logbook.
30. The method of claim 11, wherein the final calculation is based
on the adjusted calculation.
31. The machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein said deferred
item list comprises a plurality of minimum equipment list
items.
32. The machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein said deferred
item list is from a database compiled by an electronic logbook.
Description
BACKGROUND
The present application relates generally to aircraft and, more
specifically, to computer applications implemented on aircraft.
The calculation of takeoff performance parameters affects both the
safety and the economics of airline operations. Examples of such
takeoff parameters include takeoff decision speed, rotation speed,
and climbout speed. Current methods for calculating these
parameters involve manual calculations by the flight crew. In some
cases, flight crew members manually calculate takeoff parameters
using traditional paper documentation, and manually derive
modifications necessary for deferred maintenance items and runway
conditions. In other cases, the flight management computer (FMC)
performs initial calculations of takeoff parameters, but flight
crew members typically must adjust these initial calculations
manually to account for deferred maintenance items and other
conditions not considered by the FMC.
The manual calculations performed by the flight crew often require
flight crew members to manually refer to the deferred maintenance
log and on-board documentation. This approach frequently leads to
conservative estimates on the part of the flight crew, thereby
resulting in sub-optimal takeoff reference speeds. In addition,
flight crew members can miss certain deferred maintenance items or
incorrectly interpret runway conditions, leading to the manual
derivation of takeoff parameters which could compromise safe
operation.
SUMMARY
The above-mentioned drawbacks associated with existing methods of
calculating takeoff parameters are addressed by embodiments of the
present invention, which will be understood by reading and studying
the following specification.
In one embodiment, an electronic flight bag comprises an electronic
logbook module comprising an electronic logbook database. The
electronic logbook module is configured to compile a list of
deferred maintenance items including one or more MEL items. The
electronic flight bag further comprises an onboard performance tool
module operatively connected to the electronic logbook module. The
onboard performance tool module is configured to access the list of
deferred maintenance items compiled by the electronic logbook
module and calculate a plurality of performance parameters. The
electronic flight bag further comprises an electronic document
browser module operatively connected to the electronic logbook
module and the onboard performance tool module. The electronic
document browser module comprises an electronic document browser
database storing documentation regarding the MEL item(s) included
in the list of deferred maintenance items compiled by the
electronic logbook module.
In another embodiment, a method of calculating aircraft performance
parameters comprises performing an initial calculation of the
aircraft performance parameters and retrieving a current deferred
item list comprising a plurality of MEL items from a database
compiled by an electronic logbook. The current deferred item list
represents a current maintenance status of an aircraft. The method
further comprises evaluating the impact, if any, of the current
deferred item list on the initial calculation of the aircraft
performance parameters. If the deferred item list affects the
initial calculation of the aircraft performance parameters, the
method further comprises automatically adjusting the initial
calculation based on the current deferred item list to arrive at a
final calculation of the aircraft performance parameters, and
displaying the final calculation of the aircraft performance
parameters to a user.
In another embodiment, an aircraft comprises a programmable
electronic flight bag system for collecting, transmitting, and
interfacing flight data. The programmable electronic flight bag
system comprises a display screen programmable for displaying
information relevant to flying and maintaining an aircraft and
computing means operatively connected to the display screen, the
computing means having a plurality of input means. The electronic
flight bag system further comprises data collection means for
gathering raw data including deferred maintenance items, runway
conditions and obstacle height, flight data, flight management
computer data, weather data mapping, air traffic, airport gate and
taxiway data. The electronic flight bag system further comprises
electronic document browser means for accessing and displaying
information electronically stored in the electronic flight bag,
electronic logbook means capable of receiving and storing equipment
failures of the aircraft, and performance application means for
calculating takeoff parameters, taking into account deferred
maintenance items and other relevant crew-entered parameters.
These and other embodiments of the present application will be
discussed more fully in the detailed description. The features,
functions, and advantages can be achieved independently in various
embodiments of the present application, or may be combined in yet
other embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a block diagram of an Electronic Flight
Bag in communication with an airline host system.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a process flow in which an
Electronic Log Book publishes events to which an On-board
Performance Tool responds.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process flow in which an
On-board Performance Tool pulls information directly from a data
store.
FIG. 4 is a schematic of an exemplary aircraft on which the
Electronic Flight Bag can be implemented.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings
indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the
accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is
shown by way of illustration specific illustrative embodiments in
which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are
described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art
to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other
embodiments may be utilized and that various changes may be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to
be taken in a limiting sense.
FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) 100 in
communication with an airline host system 150. In general, the EFB
100 comprises a general-purpose computing system which provides a
flight crew with several applications that enhance their capability
to operate an aircraft, such as the aircraft 400 illustrated in
FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the EFB 100 comprises a display screen
(not shown) programmable for displaying information relevant to
flying and maintaining an aircraft, as well as computing means
operatively connected to the display screen. The computing means
often has a plurality of input means, such as, for example,
buttons, knobs, keyboards, touch screens, etc. In the illustrated
embodiment, the EFB 100 comprises an Electronic Logbook (ELB)
module 105 having an ELB database 110, an On-Board Performance Tool
(OPT), or "Performance Application," module 115 having an OPT
database 120, and an Electronic Document Browser (EDB) module 125
having an EDB database 130.
The term "module" as used herein, may refer to any combination of
software, firmware, or hardware used to perform the specified
function or functions. It is contemplated that the functions
performed by the modules described herein may be embodied within
either a greater or lesser number of modules than is described in
the accompanying text. For instance, a single function may be
carried out through the operation of multiple modules, or more than
one function may be performed by the same module. The described
modules may be implemented as hardware, software, firmware or any
combination thereof Additionally, the described modules may reside
at different locations connected through a wired or wireless
telecommunications network, or the Internet.
The ELB module 105, OPT module 115, and EDB module 125 are in
communication with one another. As described below, the
communication links between these modules 105, 115, 125 provide a
number of advantages, such as allowing automatic linkage of
deferred maintenance items (entered in the ELB module 105) to the
Performance Application 115. This linkage improves the accuracy of
deferred maintenance item entries and enhances the capabilities and
performance of the OPT module 115.
As shown in FIG. 1B, the EFB 100 may also comprise an optional
common database 135 in communication with the ELB module 105, OPT
module 115, and EDB module 125. In some embodiments, the common
database 135 stores only data that is shared by the ELB module 105,
OPT module 115, and EDB module 125, and each module 105, 115, 125
maintains its own separate database 110, 120, 130. In other
embodiments, the common database 135 may store redundant data to
backup or replace the ELB database 110, OPT database 120, and EDB
database 130. In addition, the modules 105, 115, 125 can interact
with one another via the common database 135 or can interact
directly via the communication links illustrated in FIG. 1.
In operation, the ELB module 105 can be used by flight crew members
to enter equipment malfunctions and/or failures into the technical
log of an aircraft. These entries can be automatically synchronized
with a client application 140 at the airline host system 150. In
some embodiments, the EFB 100 comprises a radio interface capable
of forming an uplink and a downlink between the aircraft and the
airline host system 150, which can transmit real time flight data
including aircraft operational data, security data and video
data.
Airline maintenance personnel can access the ELB module 105
directly or remotely to close the equipment failure records or to
defer them. The deferred maintenance items may have an impact on
the calculation of takeoff parameters such as, for example, takeoff
decision speed, rotation speed, and climbout speed.
Some conventional aircraft do not include a Performance Application
or On-Board Performance Tool. In these aircraft, a computer often
performs an initial calculation of takeoff parameters, but this
initial calculation cannot be used directly when there are deferred
maintenance items which affect takeoff performance. Rather, the
flight crew typically must consult paper documentation and manually
modify the takeoff parameter calculation. Such manual modifications
generally do not take into account the complexity of multiple
deferrals, and frequently lead to conservative takeoff parameter
calculations and reduced economy.
In other conventional aircraft, a Performance Application is
included which performs initial calculations of takeoff parameters.
Even in these aircraft, however, flight crew members must often
manually enter deferred maintenance items into the Performance
Application so that the penalties associated with the deferred
items can be considered in the calculation. In addition, crew
members must often manually check the documentation to confirm
their choices of deferred maintenance items. Such manual procedures
can lead to errors, such as, for example, crew members missing one
or more deferred maintenance items.
In embodiments of the present application, the OPT module 115 of
the EFB 100 is used to calculate takeoff parameters. The OPT module
115 advantageously receives deferred maintenance items which affect
takeoff parameter calculations from the ELB module 105, and enters
the items into a deferred maintenance list. As a result, the OPT
module 115 can advantageously take into account the deferred
maintenance items and other crew-entered parameters automatically
when calculating takeoff parameters. In addition, the OPT module
115 can advantageously account for the complexity of multiple
variables affecting takeoff parameter calculations, such as, for
example, the relationship between runway conditions, obstacle
height, and one or more deferred maintenance items.
The EDB module 125 includes electronic copies of aircraft-related
documentation, preferably including embedded hyperlinks to
facilitate easy access to sections of interest to flight crew
members. The EDB module 125 can also make the list of deferred
maintenance items available to the flight crew for viewing. Thus,
the EDB module 125 advantageously enables flight crew members to
readily access relevant documentation to understand the impact of
equipment failures and to confirm the validity of the takeoff
parameter calculation made by the OPT module 115.
As discussed above, the EFB 100 allows the integration of the ELB
module 105, OPT module 115, and EDB module 125. The integration of
modules within the EFB 100 can be accomplished using a variety of
suitable techniques that are well-known to those of ordinary skill
in the art. In some embodiments, the ELB module 105, OPT module
115, and EDB module 125 regularly notify "subscriber" applications
of relevant changes in status. In addition, the ELB module 105, OPT
module 115, and EDB module 125 can respond to direct requests for
information from one another or from other applications. In some
embodiments, each module 105, 115, 125 stores the data required by
other applications within its own database 110, 120, 130, whereas
in other embodiments, shared data is stored in the optional common
database 135.
The operation of one exemplary embodiment is described below. In
the exemplary embodiment, the ELB module 105 maintains an ELB
database 110 with an available Deferred Items List (DIL). Upon
startup, the OPT module 115 polls the ELB database 110 for the
latest DIL. In addition, the OPT module 115 polls the ELB database
110 for the latest DIL upon commencing a calculation, e.g., a
takeoff parameter calculation. The OPT module 115 allows
pre-selection of Minimum Equipment List (MEL) items based on the
DIL stored in the ELB database 110. The OPT module 115 displays to
the user relevant differences between the DIL stored in the ELB
database 110 and the MEL selected by the OPT module 115.
The ELB module 105 notifies the OPT module 115 of changes to the
DIL. In some cases, the ELB module 105 notifies the OPT module 115
of all such changes, whereas in other cases, the ELB module 105
notifies the OPT module 115 of only those changes to the DIL which
affect performance.
The OPT module 115 notifies the ELB module 105 of changes to
selected MEL items and to any subsequent calculations. The ELB
module 105, in turn, displays to the user any calculations made by
the OPT module 115 with a different set of MEL items than in the
DIL.
In the exemplary embodiment described herein, the ELB module 105
provides links into the EDB module 125 based on MEL item number. In
addition, the OPT module 115 provides links into the EDB module 125
based on MEL item number.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method 200 in which the ELB
module 105 publishes events to which the OPT module 115 responds.
At block 205, an equipment malfunction or fault, with an associated
MEL, is entered into the ELB module 105, typically by a member of
the flight crew, grounds crew, and/or maintenance personnel. At
block 210, the ELB module 105 activates an event indicating that an
MEL-related entry has been recorded in the technical log of the
aircraft. At block 215, the OPT module 115 receives an event
notification from the ELB module 105.
At block 220, the OPT module 115 requests the current DIL,
including the updated MEL items, from the ELB module 105. At block
225, the ELB module 105 receives the request from the OPT module
115. At block 230, the ELB module 105 retrieves relevant MEL items
from the ELB database 110 and sends the current DIL to the OPT
module 115.
At block 235, the OPT module 115 receives the current MEL items
from the ELB module 105. At block 240, the OPT module 115 stores
the current MEL items in the OPT database 120. At block 245, the
OPT module 115 raises a MEMO, MSG or other suitable flag to notify
the user of relevant updates to the MEL items and, at block 250,
the process 200 ends.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method 300 in which the OPT
module 115 pulls information directly from the optional common
database 135. At block 305, an equipment malfunction or fault, with
an associated MEL, is entered into the ELB module 105, typically by
a member of the flight crew, grounds crew, and/or maintenance
personnel. At block 310, the ELB module 105 initiates the storage
of the updated MEL item in the common database 135. At block 315,
the updated MEL item is stored in the common database 135.
At block 320, the OPT module 115 requests the current DIL,
including any updated MEL items, from the common database 135. At
block 325, the OPT module 115 receives the current MEL items from
the common database 135. At block 330, the OPT module 115 stores
the current MEL items in the OPT database 120. At block 335, the
OPT module 115 raises a MEMO, MSG or other suitable flag to notify
the user of relevant updates to the MEL items and, at block 340,
the process 300 ends.
The integration of the ELB module 105, OPT module 115, and EDB
module 125 within the EFB 100 provides a number of enhanced
capabilities to the flight crew. For example, the EFB 100
advantageously enables optimized takeoff parameters to be
calculated automatically, while assuring safe operation by taking
into account all deferred maintenance items. In addition, the EFB
100 advantageously reduces the likelihood of missed accounting for
deferred maintenance items which can occur using conventional
manual techniques. The EFB 100 can also account for the complexity
of multiple variables affecting takeoff parameter calculations.
In addition, the EFB 100 advantageously provides the flight crew
with easy access to documentation of interest via the EDB module
125. Flight crew members can take advantage of hyperlinks between
deferred maintenance items and related airplane documentation. As a
result, the flight crew can assure that the takeoff parameter
calculations are accurate and meet regulatory standards in making a
final determination as to the safe and economic derivation of
takeoff parameters.
Although this invention has been described in terms of certain
preferred embodiments, other embodiments that are apparent to those
of ordinary skill in the art, including embodiments that do not
provide all of the features and advantages set forth herein, are
also within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of
the present invention is defined only by reference to the appended
claims and equivalents thereof.
* * * * *